INDEPENDENCE DAY 2014 BREWVIEW: ADELBERT’S TRIPEL B

Independence Day, July 4, 2014. On the 238th National Day of the United States, we definitely wanted to BrewView an AMERICAN craft beer.As we perused the shelves of Liquor Barn in Redding, California, we found the collection of beers from ADELBERT’S BREWERY (Austin, Texas) newly gracing the top shelf of their “premium” beer section. Being fans of Belgian-style Tripels, and having read various ratings on the internet about Adelbert’s beers, we decided to enjoy their TRIPEL B over the 4th of July weekend, and offer our BrewView.

ABOUT ADELBERT’S BREWERY

Scott Hovey, Founderand Brewmaster- Adelbert’s

Started by Scott Hovey, Adelbert’s Brewery is a tribute to his brother, George Adelbert Hovey (1953-2000). Del always took time to enjoy a good ale with family and friends. He visited and resided in many regions of the world, whole-heartedly embracing the local people. He was a generous individual, genuinely concerned with the welfare of everyone he met. Whether he was working with the president of his company or a worker hand pollinating flowers in a green house, he treated them with respect and dignity. He lived to a high standard of empathy and self-sacrifice.

Scott Hovey and head brewer, Taylor Ziebarth, have both been passionate home brewers for many years. While both are in constant pursuit of brewing knowledge, Scott completed the Master Brewers Association of the Americas’ Malting and Brewing Science Course and Taylor attended the American Brewers Guild’s Intensive Brewing Science & Engineering program.

Adelbert’s Brewery is committed to brewing Belgian-style, bottle-conditioned ales for people to seek, savor, and share with others. They believe quality beers require quality ingredients and a painstaking attention to detail throughout the brewing process. They use Bohemian old-world floor malted barley, low alpha Noble Czech hops, and fresh yeast propagated at the brewery. In their seven vessel brew house, they use a time consuming, multi-temperature decoction mash technique which extracts a more complex flavor from their grains. (Source: Adelbert’s Brewery)

THE ALE: This complex, straw-colored ale has clove and pear aromas. A marriage of spicy and fruity flavors help perfectly balance its elegant malt profile. Pair with rich foods like steaks, roasts, earthy cheeses, and cheese cake.

THE STORY: Del was one of those mischievous young men who liked to push the social conventions of the 1970′s. His college years were a whirlwind of girls, parties, road trips, and an occasional study session. He was a “bad boy” with a great heart, and knew how to have a good time wherever he was, making friends far and wide.

OUR BREWVIEW OF ADELBERT’S TRIPEL B

APPEARANCE / THE POUR:
9.3% ABV. Poured into a tulip shaped glass (as the label suggests), and served at 50°F. Pours a light golden / straw color. It is bottle conditioned, and of course we poured the yeast sediment into the glass.. there was a great deal of it in the bottle! (We didn’t take a picture of it after we poured the rest of the yeast in the glass- it was EXTREMELY murky!) The head easily poured a 2.5 finger height (we ensured this was a “Beer Clean” glass). As the head collapses, it leaves behind dense, even sheeted Brussels lacing in the glass. The head color is white, thick, small and large bubbles, and rocky. The meniscus is medium to slow rising.

AROMA / BOUQUET:
Clove, honey, fresh peaches, citrus. It has that classic “bubblegum” ester that we like in Tripels. It is balanced with the classic fresh Belgian yeast aromas.

TASTE:It has a very nice balance of malt sweetness with spiciness / pepperiness and dryness. There are also notes of Apricots, Loquats, and peaches. Very nice fresh Belgian yeast flavors to balance all of it out.

MOUTHFEEL / PALATE:A medium bodied beer, it does have a nice carbonation bite to it. Hits the front and the sides of the tongue; there is more of a dry, citrusy, peppery type of finish.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:
ADELBERT’S TRIPEL B is an excellent example of the Abbey / Trappist Tripel style. It has all the classic components that you would expect from a Tripel. You can tell they took the measures to ensure that it would represent the style in a way that a native Belgian (and there are quite a few in Austin!) would enjoy and remind them that they were in Belgium enjoying this at their local bistro, café, or pub.

We picked this up at our local Liquor Barn in Redding, California, and we can’t wait to try the other Adelbert’s beers that they are carrying. This was an excellent value for the price. Top notch, seek this one out for sure… we can see why TRIPEL B is one of the brewery’s best sellers.